Heavy D, the rapper whose real name is Dwight Arrington Myers, is dead at the young age of 44, according to TMZ. Heavy D was the heavyset rapper and actor known for his dancing and tongue-twisting rhymes.
TMZ is reporting that a « 911 call was placed from Heavy’s Beverly Hills home around 11:25 AM to report an unconscious male on the walkway. » He was rushed to the hospital this afternoon and pronounced dead around 1:00 p.m. The police said there are no suspicions of foul play.
Heavy D’s death comes almost a month after a comeback performance at the 2011 BET Hip-Hop Awards, when he performed a medley of his best-known singles, among them « Nuttin’ But Love, » « Is It Good to You » and « Now That We Found Love. »
On Twitter, he was known for posting affirming messages. His final tweet appeared early this morning.
Heavy D was born in Jamaica, and moved to Mt. Vernon, NY, when he was a child. Heavy D & The Boyz, the group which he fronted, was the first act signed to Uptown Records, the record company started by Andre Harrell.
« I remember getting him to work with then-choreographer Rosie Perez and him looking at me, like, ‘Should we really do this?’, » Harrell told Essence. « And I said, ‘a big man dancing is going to be really fun for people. It’s gonna make them love you.' »
The group enjoyed widespread fame in the early 1990s, and scored prominent cameos on hit songs with Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson. Heavy D also appeared on the theme song for the popular sketch comedy show « In Living Color. »
But tragedy befell the group at the beginning of its commercial success. Troy Dixon, known as Trouble T Roy, died in an accident at a show. His death was the inspiration for Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth’s « They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.), » which is widely considered one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time.
AP
